Police have arrested a man in connection with an attack in Canberra on protesters against the Chinese government.
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He was stopped as he was about to board a plane leaving the country from Sydney airport.
The attack is alleged to have happened in October when protesters against the Chinese government were handing out leaflets at the Floriade festival.
The Falun Gong members had cars with anti-Chinese Communist Party slogans on the top. One of the protesters returned to her car to find two men of Chinese appearance allegedly spray-painting over the slogans.
She confronted one of them and said she was then wrestled to the ground and kneed. Her bruises remained a week later.
"This young man then grabbed my neck with his elbow, lifted me up, and threw me to the ground. He then started to kick and punch me. I almost fainted from the fall, and I lost the ability to resist his attack," Nancy Dong alleged.
The anti-communist protesters had parked two cars with the slogans against the Chinese government. Both sets of slogans were spray-painted over. While the two men spray-painted, a third person - a woman - looked on. Police later released pictures of the three and have searched for them since. Two remain at large.
The alleged attacker has been charged with robbery, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, destroying or damaging property and defacing private premises.
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The alleged attack came as concern increased in several countries about a more assertive attitude by the Chinese government against its opponents in other countries.
Also in October, a Chinese diplomat was accused of getting involved in a brawl with anti-Chinese government protesters in Manchester in England.
It is not known what connection, if any, the arrested man has with the Chinese embassy in Canberra. The embassy did not respond to a request for information.
It would no doubt be a serious matter if people connected to the embassy had been involved in attacks on Australian citizens on Australian soil.
In the 2022 assessment of threats to Australia, the security agency ASIO's head, Director-General of Security Mike Burgess, said: "Foreign governments will often monitor and intimidate members of diaspora communities who are critics of the foreign government or express views at odds with the regime's policies. It's unacceptable that people who live in your street - and mine - might be subjected to the strongarm - and long arm - of a foreign state.
"Again, it's important to understand exactly what is, and is not, foreign interference in this context. Just as it is perfectly legal to criticise a foreign regime in this country, it is perfectly legal to stage a counter protest. That is not necessarily foreign interference, it may just be nationalist zeal.
"But if a foreign government is clandestinely directing the counter protest, then my organisation will be very interested.
"Some of the foreign governments we've dealt with seem to think that this sort of community harassment is OK. They think wrong. It's not OK."
The Chinese government has opened offices in several countries to, as it puts it, "benefit overseas Chinese". These benefits include applying for drivers' licences and mediation in disputes.
But opponents of the Chinese government based in Taiwan say the office in Sydney is also used to monitor dissidents in Australia.
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Steve Evans
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
